Monthly Archives: October 2013

Spider Web Snacks

Here is a fun Hal­loween treat of the sea­son. Who knew eat­ing spi­der webs could be so yummy?! These are easy, inex­pen­sive, and cute!

Ingre­di­ents:

– pret­zel sticks
– white chocolate/bark candy coating
– choco­late (baker’s, candy coat­ing, or chips would prob­a­bly all work)
– raisins
– bag­gie or pas­try bag
– wax paper

Direc­tions:

Lay out your pret­zels on the wax paper in “star­burst” arrange­ments of 6 or 8 pret­zels (it’s a good idea to put it on a cookie sheet for trans­port stability).

After melt­ing your white chocolate/bark coat­ing, place in a bag­gie and cut the cor­ner off (or use a pas­try bag).  Start pip­ing your choco­late in the mid­dle of the pret­zel arrange­ment, mak­ing sure to coat all the pretzels.
Con­tinue pip­ing out­ward around the pret­zels, until you have a web.  Then, place two raisins in the mid­dle for the body of the spider.
Melt your reg­u­lar choco­late and pipe over the raisins.  I found that the spi­ders turned out bet­ter when I piped the legs of the spi­der first and then did the body.  Place in the fridge for a few min­utes until the choco­late is hard.  Then, gen­tly peel back the wax paper.…and eat!

Government shutdown and how it affects the au pair program

The Social Security office!  Yes, this is where the au pair programs are getting affected.

During the government shut down, the Social Security office is not accepting any new applications for social security numbers. Our au pairs all have their legal documents– J-1 visa, I-94 and DS2019 that permit them to legally work in our country, however they must bring these documents to the SS office and apply for their official and original social security card.

Then…they need their SS cards to apply for a PA driver’s license. Until the government reopens, everything is at a stand still. If you have your au pair driving, please be very clear of your insurance provider’s requiremnts in order to cover her as a driver. If they will only allow licensed CA drivers, she cannot drive until the government comes to an agreement and reopens their doors, allowing her to get the documents she needs to be covered.

Education matters

No Comments

webinarWe are very proud of the ongoing training we offer our au pairs which provides further educational on a wide range of topics.. Our orientation trainers take great care to research and prepare the topics presented and we get great feedback from au pairs who attend. Please help us spread the word by sharing the information via your FB groups, blogs, newsletters and emails.

Au pairs are sent emails monthly with the webinar details and reminders on the day of training and can register through the webinar link in the email.

Webinar Schedule (All times Eastern time zone)

October 15
8 pm Nutrition. Good eating for you and your kids
9 pm It’s Up to You. Making the most of your Au Pair year
10 pm Activities to do with Preschoolers

October 29
11 am Language Development: Birth and beyond
12 noon Tantrums are no fun for anyone. Help, my kids are fighting again!
1 pm American holidays: what they are, activities and getting through
the holiday blues

November 11
8 pm Managing play with more than one child
9 pm Repatriation
10 pm Feeling Sad or Stressed: Tips for gaining balance in your life

November 26
11 am Help! My kids are fighting again
12 noon Activities for School Age Kids
1 pm Homesickness. Making it through

December 5
8 pm Activities to do with Preschoolers

December 6
9 pm Successfully communicating with your host family

December 9
10 am Homework: Finding the right strategy for your child

December 15
9 pm Homesickness. Making it through
10 pm Toilet Training 101

December 17
8 pm Tantrums are no fun for anyone